„.:Pagtoral  better... 


RELATIONS  BETWEEN 
EMPLOYERS 

- -AND - 

THE  EMPLOYED 


William,  Carbtital  ^’Connell 

&rdbbtef)op  of  Boston 


boston  collese  library 

CHESTNUT  HILL,  MASS. 


3XVY/S- 

4  4  4 


&bbent,  1912 


4  4  4 


■* 


William,  Cardinal  ©’Connell 

^rcptsifjop  of  Boston 

* 

To  the  Reverend  Clergy,  and  People  of  the 
Diocese,  Health  and  Benediction. 

r  |  <HE  time  of  Advent  set  apart  by  the  Church 
to  prepare  the  minds  of  men  for  the  coming 
of  the  Prince  of  Peace  seems  an  appropriate 
one,  venerable  brethren  of  the  clergy  and  laity, 
to  open  my  pastoral  heart  to  you  on  a  subject 
vitally  connected  with  your  domestic,  civil  and 
spiritual  peace. 

The  social  problem  of  the  relations  between 
employers  and  employed  appears  to  be  the  one 
most  fraught  with  danger  to  our  peaceful  living. 
It  has  been  many  times  in  the  past  the  source  of 
widespread  discord  and  disorder,  and  may  in 
the  future  prove  a  danger  to  the  public  peace 


1 


unless  some  remedy  can  be  found  to  better  our 
social  conditions.  The  hostile  attitude  of  one 
set  of  men  against  another  is  always  prejudicial 
to  the  permanence  of  peaceful  relations;  but 
when  two  classes  are  arrayed  in  antagonism  and 
distrust,  each  against  the  other,  the  one  with  the 
resources  of  wealth  and  power  behind  it,  the 
other  with  the  force  of  numbers  to  make  its  in¬ 
fluence  felt,  society  is  menaced  by  impending  out¬ 
breaks,  and  the  peace  of  families,  the  tranquillity 
of  the  State  and  the  normal  calm  engendered  by 
religion  are  imperilled. 

To  find  a  way  out  of  these  social  dangers,  to 
reconcile  conflicting  interests,  to  lay  down  a  basis 
for  the  just  and  equitable  settlement  of  differ¬ 
ences  between  employers  and  workers  is  a  call 
to  an  apostolate  of  the  highest  service,  which 
every  lover  of  his  faith  and  of  his  country  should 
heed,  and  to  which  every  Christian  and  every 
patriot  may  well  consecrate  his  best  endeavors. 

Justice  and  charity,  two  of  the  noblest  Chris¬ 
tian  virtues,  hold  a  foremost  place  in  any  gen¬ 
uine  crusade  for  social  betterment,  and  make  the 
cause  a  holy  one  that  appeals  even  more  strongly 
to  the  churchman  than  to  the  statesman. 


2 


The  proper  consideration  of  the  problem  de¬ 
pends  much  on  the  way  in  which  we  approach 
it.  The  initial  mistake  that  is  made  in  trying 
to  find  a  solution  is  in  viewing  the  question  as  a 
merely  economic  one.  The  lives  and  happiness 
of  millions  of  human  beings  are  involved  in  the 
issue;  and  this  gives  it  a  moral  aspect  which 
cannot  be  ignored.  It  is  much  more  than  an 
economic  problem.  From  the  moment  that  the 
well-being  of  individuals  and  families  is  concerned 
in  any  question  at  issue,  it  is  lifted  out  of  the 
domain  of  mere  economics.  Bald  political  econ¬ 
omy  with  its  inflexible  law  of  supply  and  demand 
can  no  longer  cope  with  it.  The  reciprocal  rights 
and  duties  inhering  in  the  personality  and  posi¬ 
tion  of  those  who  are  making  claims  and  of  those 
who  are  resisting  them,  enter  in  and  create  at 
once  a  moral  issue.  In  the  long  run  dollars  and 
cents  are  powerless  before  a  just  human  right 
and  must  give  way  in  every  community  ruled 
by  principles  of  justice. 

The  question  of  human  rights  that  is  in¬ 
volved  in  the  issue  between  capital  and  labor 
goes  deeper  down  than  any  legal  enactment  con¬ 
cerning  them.  In  fact,  much  of  the  confusion  of 


3 


« 

thought  surrounding  the  problem  springs  from 
a  faulty  conception  of  the  fundamental  sources 
of  human  society.  There  is  a  tendency  to-day 
to  exalt  unduly  the  State,  and  to  regard  it  as 
the  creator  of  all  the  rights  and  privileges  which 
we  enjoy,  and  to  look  to  it  for  the  solution  of  all 
our  problems.  Such  a  position  is  philosophically 
and  historically  false.  The  family  is  by  nature 
and  in  fact  anterior  to  the  State.  There  are 
certain  inherent  individual  and  family  rights  that 
spring  from  nature  itself  and  from  the  funda¬ 
mental  relations  established  by  the  Creator  in  the 
universe  which  antedate  the  constitution  of  States 
or  the  enactments  of  civil  law.  The  authority 
of  the  parent  over  his  child,  his  right  to  provide 
for  his  family,  the  choice  of  the  kind  of  education 
his  children  shall  receive — all  these  fundamental 
rights  are  rooted  in  the  very  nature  of  family 
life.  So  also  the  rights  of  conscience  are  in¬ 
herent  in  the  individual.  They  were  not  created 
by  the  State.  The}^  are  anterior  to  it  by  nature 
and  in  fact.  But  if  the  State  is  not  the  creator 
of  them,  the  State  should  be  the  conserver  and 
respecter  of  them.  For  it  was  precisely  to  safe¬ 
guard  these  primary  rights  of  the  individual  and 


4 


of  the  family  that  States  were  formed.  To  the 
fact  that  man  is  by  nature  a  social  being  made 
so  by  his  Creator  and  to  the  natural  need  of  indi¬ 
viduals  and  families  of  protecting  their  primary 
and  natural  rights,  which  alone  and  isolated  they 
had  not  the  strength  to  defend  against  unjust 
aggression,  States  owe  their  origin  and  formation. 
It  is  the  province  of  the  State  in  consonance  with 
its  origin  to  protect  these  fundamental,  indi¬ 
vidual  and  family  rights,  not  to  invade  them. 

Now  the  right  of  a  man  to  provide  for  his 
family  is  a  natural  one.  In  the  exercise  of  this 
right  he  may  sell  his  labor  for  what  he  considers 
just  compensation,  or  may  refuse  his  labor  for 
what  he  deems  an  inadequate  return.  The  meas¬ 
ure  which  he  must  use  in  determining  his  de¬ 
cision  is  that  imposed  by  nature  itself.  He  must 
support  his  family;  and  the  living  wage  which 
he  has  a  right  to  demand  according  to  the  teach¬ 
ing  of  Leo  XIII,  of  blessed  memory,  is  the  one 
which  will  maintain  his  family  in  decent  and 
frugal  comfort.  The  man  who  accepts  less  through 
necessity  or  fear  of  harder  conditions  is  the  vic¬ 
tim  of  force  and  injustice.  This  general  norm 
of  wage  does  not  exclude  the  special  claims  of 


labor,  skilled  and  unskilled,  which  according  to 
the  degree  of  toil  or  danger  incurred,  has  a  right 
to  greater  compensation.  It  simply  means  that 
the  lowest  measure  of  compensation  must  be  the 
decent  maintenance  of  a  man  and  his  home. 

This  principle  is  based  on  sound  political 
economy  and  the  highest  political  wisdom.  The 
safety  of  the  State  depends  upon  the  integrity  of 
its  homes.  To  build  up  contented  homes  should 
be  the  aim  of  enlightened  legislation  as  well  as 
the  scope  of  every  movement  for  social  better¬ 
ment.  The  source  of  the  nation’s  strength  lies 
in  the  stable  and  well-ordered  home,  and  with¬ 
out  it,  national  greatness  swiftly  hastens  to  decay. 
The  homeless  man,  free  from  the  restraints  of 
domestic  life  may  easily  become  a  menace,  and 
to  diminish  such  a  danger  becomes  the  duty  of 
comprehensive  patriotic  statesmanship. 

The  maintenance  of  a  home,  then,  is  the 
standard  of  the  minimum  wage  dictated  by  the 
law  of  nature,  and  prompted  by  the  highest 
public  policy.  It  is  the  clear  right  of  the  wage 
earner,  and  to  protect  this  right  he  may  make 
use  of  all  legitimate  means.  He  may  combine 
with  others  to  enforce  it  and  form  a  union  with 


6 


his  fellow  workers  to  exert  the  adequate  moral 
power  to  maintain  it  or  to  better  his  condition 
within  the  limits  of  justice.  To  deny  him  this 
right  is  a  tyranny  and  an  injustice.  He  has  no 
other  way  to  safeguard  his  interests.  The  rich 
and  the  powerful  have  many  ways  which  they  do 
not  hesitate  to  employ  to  protect  their  invest¬ 
ments;  the  workingman  has  only  the  support  of 
peaceful  combination. 

Moreover,  workmen’s  associations  may  peace¬ 
fully  agitate  and  seek  to  mould  public  opinion 
in  their  favor  to  bring  about  a  redress  of  real 
grievances.  A  campaign  of  this  kind  must,  how¬ 
ever,  be  legitimately  conducted,  free  from  viola¬ 
tions  of  justice  and  of  charity  and  of  the  public 
peace.  Finally,  the  worker  in  the  last  resort  has 
the  right  to  refuse  to  work,  that  is  to  strike,  and 
to  induce  by  peaceful  and  lawful  methods  others 
to  strike  with  him  when  this  extreme  measure 
becomes  necessary  to  mitigate  unendurable  con- 
'  ditions,  or  to  wrest  from  an  unreasonable  em¬ 
ployer  just  compensation  for  his  labor,  after  all 
other  measures  have  failed. 

All  this  is  the  teaching  of  the  illustrious 
Pontiff  Leo  XIII  in  his  now  famous  encyclical 


7 


u0n  the  Condition  of  the  Workingmen/ ’  It  has 
its  root  in  the  law  of  nature,  which  dictates  that 
a  man  has  a  natural  right  to  a  wage  which  will 
maintain  his  home  in  frugal  and  reasonable  com¬ 
fort.  All  the  other  conclusions  which  we  have 
laid  down  are  but  corollaries  flowing  from  this 
fundamental  principle,  on  the  ground  that  any 
one  who  possesses  a  natural  right  may  make  use 
of  all  legitimate  means  to  protect  it,  and  to  safe¬ 
guard  it  from  violation. 

These  are  the  objective  principles  which  may 
serve  as  guiding  ones  in  contests  between  workers 
and  employers,  and  if  loyally  accepted  by  both 
sides,  would  undoubtedly  mitigate  the  bitterness 
that  often  arises  in  labor  disputes. 

The  principles  governing  the  conduct  of  em¬ 
ployers  are  well  known  and  are  generally  ac¬ 
cepted  as  the  only  safe  ones  which  may  be  fol¬ 
lowed.  They  may  be  summed  up  as  follows : 
Capital  has  a  right  to  a  just  share  of  the  profits, 
but  only  to  a  just  share:  Employers  should  treat  T 
those  who  work  under  them  with  humanity  and 
justice;  they  should  be  solicitous  for  the  health¬ 
ful  conditions  of  the  places  where  workmen  daily 
toil:  they  should  use  all  reasonable  means  to 


8 


promote  the  material  and  moral  well-being  of 
their  employees.  They  should  be  kindly  hu¬ 
mane  and  just  in  all  their  relations  with  them. 

We  are  well  aware  that  some  of  these  prin¬ 
ciples  find  no  place  in  a  political  and  commercial 
economy  which  has  become  wholly  pagan.  We 
are  convinced,  however,  that  the  social  problem 
of  the  relations  between  employers  and  workers 
can  never  be  settled  on  any  other  than  a  Chris¬ 
tian  basis.  The  attitude  of  each  towards  the 
other  must  radically  change  round  to  a  Christian 
one,  else  we  shall  have  the  spectacle  of  two  op¬ 
posing  forces  facing  each  other  in  a  hostile  spirit, 
each  stubbornly  insisting  on  its  pound  of  flesh, 
with  no  thought  of  the  Christian  brotherhood 
which  ought  to  bind  them  together. 

The  present  deplorable  situation  in  the  world 
of  labor  has  been  brought  about  by  a  neglect  of 
Christian  principles,  and  by  the  attempt  to  put 
this  question  on  a  material  basis  only.  On  the 
other  hand,  riches  and  power  bring  danger  in 
their  train  unless  moral  rectitude  and  moral 
standards  are  accepted  as  guiding  sign  posts 
along  the  way  of  life.  Money  gives  power,  and 
it  may  be  sought  after  too  anxiously  without  due 
regard  to  the  principles  of  justice. 

9 


Saint  Paul  has  declared  in  the  sixth  chapter 
of  his  first  epistle  to  Timothy  that  “the  desire  of 
money  is  the  root  of  all  evil,”  meaning,  of  course, 
its  inordinate  and  greedy  desire.  Men  are  for¬ 
getting  these  principles.  They  are  making  too 
much  of  money  for  money’s  sake.  They  have  for¬ 
gotten  the  injunction  of  the  Saviour  given  in  the 
twelfth  chapter  of  Saint  Luke:  “take  heed  and 
beware  of  all  covetousness;  for  a  man’s  life  doth 
not  consist  in  the  abundance  of  things  which  he 
possesseth.”  There  is  need  of  this  solemn  warn¬ 
ing. 

Men  with  money  should  be  careful  to  regard 
it  as  a  means  to  do  good  rather  than  an  end. 
They  should  beware  lest  its  possession  make 
them  arrogant,  tyrannical  and  despisers  of  their 
less  fortunate  brethren.  The  great  restraining 
force  against  these  natural  tendencies  is  the 
spirit  of  religion,  which  subdues  while  it  strength¬ 
ens  and  sanctifies  while  it  chastens.  Whether  as 
individuals  or  as  members  of  corporate  bodies, 
men  of  wealth  must  remember  that  the  Christian 
law  obliges  them  in  one  capacity  as  in  the  other. 
There  is  no  double  moral  standard,  no  loop-hole 
of  escape  from  the  sanctions  which  the  moral 


10 


law  of  Christ  imposes.  Men  of  wealth  should 
not  buy  that  which  is  not  sellable  according  to 
Christian  ethics.  It  is  an  abuse  of  their  wealth 
and  an  infraction  of  the  moral  code,  and  a  crime 
against  society. 

The  merely  natural  outlook  has  produced 
another  idea  of  wealth  which  is  a  source  of  danger. 
Men  regard  themselves  as  absolute  owners  of 
what  they  possess,  and  claim  the  right  to  do  with 
it  what  they  please.  In  one  sense  this  is  true. 
They  are  owners,  and  exclusive  owners.  But 
there  is  a  law  higher  than  themselves,  and  there  is . 
a  God  above  them.  To  stand  stubbornly  upon 
individual  ground  and  because  they  are  owners 
to  absolve  themselves  from  all  obligations  to  so¬ 
ciety  and  their  weaker  brethren  is  paganism,  pure 
and  simple.  In  reality  they  are  according  to  the 
Divine  Word  stewards  of  God.  The  greater  their 
wealth,  the  greater  their  responsibilities. 

Before  the  so-called  Reformation,  this  was 
the  Christian  conception  of  wealth  as  any  one 
who  will  read  the  records  of  history  will  readily 
see.  There  was  poverty,  but  not  pauperism. 
The  rich  man  saw  in  the  poor  his  brethren  in 
Jesus  Christ,  and  was  well  content  to  share  his 


11 


treasures  on  earth  that  he  might  lay  up  for  him¬ 
self  treasures  in  heaven. 

The  individualistic  principle  of  life  was  in¬ 
troduced  by  the  revolt  against  the  authority  of 
the  Church.  The  unity  of  faith  was  broken  and 
Christendom  ceased  to  be  one  great  organic 
social  body,  one  brotherhood  in  Christ.  Once 
granted,  the  principle  that  man  can  choose,  as  he 
would  a  garment,  his  own  religion,  the  most  su¬ 
preme  issue  of  life,  the  way  is  open  for  him  to 
have  his  own  way  in  things  of  all  moral  import. 
The  direct  tendency  of  the  spirit  of  individual¬ 
ism  is  to  breed  self-sufficiency  and  selfishness. 
That  it  does  not  always  do  so  is  owing  solely  to 
the  fact  that  it  is  not  always  carried  out  to  its 
logical  outcome. 

There  is  need  of  a  return  to  old  Catholic 
ideals.  Men  must  learn  to  give  to  every  cause 
of  religion  and  charity  and  mutual  help,  in  pro¬ 
portion  to  their  means.  Rich  men  should  bear 
in  mind  that  they  shall  one  day  hear  the  voice  of 
the  Master  of  all  saying,  1  Tender  an  account  of 
thy  stewardship. ”  There  must  be  a  generous 
recognition,  on  the  part  of  those  whom  God  has 
blessed  with  abundance,  of  their  obligations  to 


12 


society  and  the  poorer  members  of  the  human 
family.  The  Christian  spirit  must  be  enkindled 
in  the  soul  and  this  will  of  itself  arouse  the  noble 
and  generous  disposition  to  approach  conflicts 
with  a  calm  and  balanced  mind,  and  with  a 
readiness  to  listen  to  higher  impulses  than  the 
mere  desire  for  victory  over  helpless  and  often¬ 
times  maddened  men,  who  alas  too  often  have 
good  reason  to  believe  that  the  rich  have  lost  all 
sense  of  kindly  feeling  and  think  only  of  themselves. 

On  the  other  hand,  workers  are  just  as  much 
bound  by  the  Christian  law  as  their  employers. 
This  fact  seems  to  be  lost  sight  of  at  times,  and 
men  give  way  to  their  baser  impulses.  The 
spirit  of  envy  generates  discontent,  and  the  at¬ 
titude  of  the  laborer  towards  his  employer  be¬ 
comes  un-Christian  and  pagan.  There  is  a  dis¬ 
position,  too,  to  regard  work  as  an  intolerable 
burden  to  be  gotten  rid  of  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  with  as  little  effort  as  possible.  This  is 
contrary  to  Christian  teaching.  The  Wise  Man 
in  Ecclesiastes  who  had  tasted  all  the  pleasures  of 
life  was  forced  to  confess:  “for  I  have  found 
that  there  is  nothing  better  for  a  man  than  to 
rejoice  in  his  work. y ’  This  natural  discontent  is 


13 


fomented  and  intensified  by  the  noisy  agitators  of 
Socialism,  the  enemies  of  God  and  man,  who 
would  overturn  the  foundations  upon  which  hu¬ 
man  society  is  built,  and  exile  God  from  His 
universe. 

This  singular  set  of  men  who  seek  to  conceal 
the  malice  of  their  real  principles,  but  who  cannot, 
are  a  brood  of  disturbers.  Their  doctrines  are 
an  abomination  striking  at  the  foundations  of 
family  life  and  religion.  Their  spirit  is  not  new. 
A  similar  class  of  men  were  graphically  described 
by  Saint  Paul  in  his  second  epistle  to  the  Thes- 
salonians;  “for  also  when  we  were  with  you,  this 
we  declared  unto  you:  that  if  any  man  shall  not 
work,  neither  let  him  eat.  For  we  have  heard 
that  they  are  some  among  you  who  walk  dis¬ 
orderly,  working  not  at  all,  but  curiously  med¬ 
dling.  Now  we  charge  them  that  are  such,  and 
beseech  them  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  work¬ 
ing  with  silence,  they  would  eat  their  own  bread.” 

There  is  not,  and  cannot  be  a  Catholic 
Socialist.  Leo  XIII  has  rejected  such  a  fellow¬ 
ship  in  his  immortal  encyclical.  The  principles 
of  Socialism  are  utterly  opposed  to  the  principles 
of  Christianity.  They  are  mutually  destructive 


14 


of  each  other.  Certain  misguided  Christians  may 
call  themselves  Socialists,  but  objectively,  a  Cath¬ 
olic  Socialist  is  an  utter  impossibility. 

Another  source  of  unrest  among  working 
people,  and  one  against  which  they  must  be 
warned,  is  the  desire  to  give  themselves  over  too 
much  to  the  pleasures  of  life.  It  is  directly  con¬ 
trary  to  the  Christian,  Catholic  spirit.  It  leads 
people  to  live  beyond  their  incomes,  and  is  the 
fruitful  source  of  family  troubles  and  discontent 
with  one’s  station  in  life.  A  Christian  people 
should  ever  remember  that  the  Christian  life  is 
one  of  restraint.  Legitimate  recreations  are  good, 
but  not  the  surrender  of  the  heart  to  the  pleasures 
of  this  life.  They  should  bear  in  mind  the  warn¬ 
ing  of  Saint  Paul,  that  among  those  who  make 
dangerous  times  in  the  history  of  the  world  are 
“lovers  more  of  pleasures  than  of  God.”  More 
economy  at  home  and  less  perpetual  seeking  of 
empty  pleasure  would  remove  much  of  the  un¬ 
necessary  discontent  and  murmuring  which,  even 
without  real  cause,  we  hear  on  many  sides. 

The  social  problem  of  the  relations  between 
employers  and  workers  must  be  solved  on  a 
Christian  basis,  or  not  at  all.  They  must  face 


15 


each  other  in  the  proper  frame  of  mind  springing 
from  a  Christian  spirit,  before  even  an  initial 
step  towards  permanent  betterment  can  be  ef¬ 
fected.  Employers  and  workers  must  regard  each 
other  as  brothers  in  the  same  great  brotherhood 
of  Christ.  The  Church  by  her  teaching  incul¬ 
cates  the  only  sure  method  of  social  regeneration. 
She  would  purify  the  hearts  of  men  of  selfishness, 
greed,  envy  and  hatred  which  stand  in  the  way 
of  a  better  understanding.  She  abolished  slav¬ 
ery,  in  spite  of  opposition  coming  from  human 
interests,  and  made  men  socially  free.  She  pro¬ 
tected  and  fostered  the  workingmen’s  guilds  of 
the  Middle  Ages,  using  every  means  in  her  power 
to  keep  the  workers  under  the  gracious  and  mel¬ 
lowing  influence  of  religion.  She  alone  can  be 
the  regenerator  of  the  social  commonwealth  in 
the  conditions  which  confront  us  to-day. 

When  the  worker  imbibing  her  spirit  will 
look  upon  labor  as  a  conscientious  duty  to  be 
done  with  care  and  diligence,  and  when  the  em¬ 
ployer  accepting  her  teaching  will  be  content 
with  reasonable  profit  and  treat  the  laborer  gen¬ 
erously  and  humanely,  the  battle  will  be  already 
won,  and  peace  will  descend  and  bless  both  for 

their  loyal  Christian  and  Catholic  spirit. 


16 


We  exhort  all,  both  employers  and  work¬ 
men,  to  enter  upon  this  holy  crusade  of  Christian 
emulation,  to  make  every  effort  for  a  lasting 
peace,  to  shut  out  from  their  ranks  socialistic 
disturbers,  to  be  loyal  adherents  of  the  Church, 
faithfully  following  and  carrying  out  in  their 
daily  lives  the  teachings  of  the  illustrious  Leo, 
that,  human  passions  laid  aside  and  put  out  of 
the  lives  of  the  Church’s  children,  the  Prince  of 
Peace  may  reign  over  a  tranquil  and  contented 
people. 

Let  the  Societies  of  the  Holy  Name,  now  so 
well  established  and  so  flourishing  throughout 
this  diocese,  serve  as  the  great  spiritual  centres 
whence  shall  radiate  this  spirit  of  religious,  do¬ 
mestic  and  social  peace  and  harmony.  Let  the 
doctrines  of  the  Church  and  the  principles  of  her 
Pontiffs  and  Bishops,  elucidating  the  economic 
conditions  of  her  children,  and  their  correspond¬ 
ing  duties,  be  studied  and  learned  well  at  the 
meetings  of  this  Confraternity. 

When  our  people  have  begun  to  understand 
better  the  malice  of  those  who  under  cover  of 
friendship  stir  up  strife,  and  when  they  realize 
that  the  law  of  Christ  alone  can  make  all  men  free, 


17 


and  that  not  dollars,  but  peace  and  contentment, 
are  the  richest  and  most  precious  possessions  in 
life,  then  will  the  clamor  of  these  noisy  hawkers 
of  poisonous  social  panaceas  appear  what  it  is 
in  very  truth,  the  vicious  propaganda  of  enemies 
of  the  Christian  faith,  and  deceitful  disturbers 
of  the  peace  of  States. 

During  the  Holy  Season  of  Advent,  we  charge 
those  having  care  of  souls  to  instruct  their  people 
in  the  true  doctrine  of  the  Church  concerning 
their  duties  in  the  realm  of  labor;  to  proclaim 
again  to  the  workman  that  the  consolations  which 
religion  holds  out  to  him  are  the  only  real  and 
lasting  foundations  of  true  happiness  here  below; 
and  that  the  envy,  the  jealousy  and  hatred  of 
class,  only  render  more  and  more  bitter  the  con¬ 
test  which,  even  were  it  victorious,  would  end 
only  in  the  ashes  of  disillusionment. 

Let  them  announce  fearlessly  to  the  rich  the 
duties  of  their  station,  and  the  responsibility  of 
their  stewardship.  Let  them  courageously  stand, 
as  the  Church  has  ever  stood,  as  the  defender  of 
the  weak,  the  poor  and  the  oppressed,  warning 
them,  however,  of  their  solemn  duty  and  just 
obligations. 


18 


So  may  these  days  be  sacredly  employed  to 
bring  about  that  peace  to  men  of  good  will  which 
the  Christ  Child  came  to  establish  on  earth  when 
the  first  Christmas  dawned  over  Bethlehem. 

May  the  Blessed  Saviour  and  Redeemer  of 
men  send  among  us,  during  these  days  of  prepa¬ 
ration,  the  fire  of  his  holy  love,  that  its  glow  and 
warmth  may  cast  out  the  darkness  of  false  doc¬ 
trines  and  the  chill  of  unchristian  distrust  and 
unfriendliness,  so  that  we  may  all,  rich  and  poor, 
employer  and  employed,  gather  around  the  crib 
of  the  Divine  Child  with  Mary  and  Joseph  to 
adore  our  God,  whose  first  law  is  that  of  light 
and  love.  And  may  the  blessing  of  God  be  with 
you  always. 

Given  at  Boston,  on  the  Feast  of  St.  Clement, 
November  23d,  1912. 


19 


BOSTON  COLLI 

EGE 

3  9031  031  ! 

35628  7 

NOT  CIRCULATE 


... 

*  • 

■ 


. 

v  .  ;  • » *  !  1 


* 

- 


r>: 


